An honest question: Julie says ALL things come from God. That means all GOOD things and all BAD things. All means everything. So, why did God kill all those people in Japan today?
Dang. No simple questions today. This gets at "theodicy," or, really, the question of why do bad things happen in the world. If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he not let this happen, so we can have him be all-powerful and all-good. Or, if this stuff is going to happen anyway, why don't we just let him be less-than all powerful, so we can have him remain all-good? It's hard to hold together the two sides.
The book of Job addresses this and comes to what some view as a totally unsatisfying answer -- basically, "I'm God, you're not. Deal with it." Leslie Weatherhead, in a book called "The Will of God" talked of different understandings of what God intends to come out of situations. Anyway, there's a lot there.
For me, I really don't question why something happened. There are Christians who see an end times prophecy behind every catastrophe. There are those who say this or that happened because gay marriage or abortion or whatever. Perhaps it is a sign of weakness on my part, but I think it's a sign of humility, that I confess that I just don't know WHY things happen. I don't presume to know the inner workings of why God made the universe to operate this way. And, I'm OK with really not questioning that. I view this and prefer to ask what a proper response to the event would be. Can we find ways to save more people in the future? How can we meet needs now? What are the hopes and prayers of the persons there? How can the church be most faithful in response?
This truly doesn't answer your question. And I guess this says more about me than it does your question. I'm content with letting it remain unanswered and trusting that God can find ways for the tragic to be redeemed and provide a way for love to be shown in the midst of difficult circumstances.
When I'm with a spouse or a parent after a very tragic death of a loved one, and they ask me, through tears, "Why?" I pretty much give them the same answer. "I don't know why. But I do know we have a God who loves and offers mercy and comfort and that's what I rely on."
An honest question: Julie says ALL things come from God. That means all GOOD things and all BAD things. All means everything. So, why did God kill all those people in Japan today?
Dang. No simple questions today. This gets at "theodicy," or, really, the question of why do bad things happen in the world. If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he not let this happen, so we can have him be all-powerful and all-good. Or, if this stuff is going to happen anyway, why don't we just let him be less-than all powerful, so we can have him remain all-good? It's hard to hold together the two sides.
The book of Job addresses this and comes to what some view as a totally unsatisfying answer -- basically, "I'm God, you're not. Deal with it." Leslie Weatherhead, in a book called "The Will of God" talked of different understandings of what God intends to come out of situations. Anyway, there's a lot there.
For me, I really don't question why something happened. There are Christians who see an end times prophecy behind every catastrophe. There are those who say this or that happened because gay marriage or abortion or whatever. Perhaps it is a sign of weakness on my part, but I think it's a sign of humility, that I confess that I just don't know WHY things happen. I don't presume to know the inner workings of why God made the universe to operate this way. And, I'm OK with really not questioning that. I view this and prefer to ask what a proper response to the event would be. Can we find ways to save more people in the future? How can we meet needs now? What are the hopes and prayers of the persons there? How can the church be most faithful in response?
This truly doesn't answer your question. And I guess this says more about me than it does your question. I'm content with letting it remain unanswered and trusting that God can find ways for the tragic to be redeemed and provide a way for love to be shown in the midst of difficult circumstances.
When I'm with a spouse or a parent after a very tragic death of a loved one, and they ask me, through tears, "Why?" I pretty much give them the same answer. "I don't know why. But I do know we have a God who loves and offers mercy and comfort and that's what I rely on."
Not sure if this helps.